Antosz’s Fulbright proposal was inspired by her experience as a study abroad student volunteering at Fundación Cerro Navia Joven, an organization that addresses the needs of children and families in Cerro Navia, Santiago. She spent time there helping young mothers connect with education and resources, but felt that a youth program to assist them set and attain new goals or gain new skills would be much more effective.

“All we could really offer was our talents and time. Once we left the community and went back to South Bend, the work we did in Chile didn’t really continue to affect these women,” Antosz said. “For a while, they had someone to accompany them and listen to them, but it didn’t affect the number of teen moms.”

During her Fulbright year, Antosz will return to Fundación Cerro Navia Joven to conduct in-depth interviews with at-risk teens, young mothers, and their families to determine how to develop better programs to address common negative outcomes such as teen pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse.

“Their youth programs really need to be community-based and geared toward what will work best for families so that those families will feel comfortable using them,” Antosz said. “I want to give them the resources to help them with the things they want to do with their lives, to show them ways to prevent teen pregnancy. Being a parent is great, but if you can wait five or six years, the outcomes for you and your children will be much better.”

“Notre Dame really focuses on Catholic social teachings and incorporates what it means to be a moral person. It doesn’t matter what you’re studying, the Notre Dame mission is to instill these values in its students so that, when they leave, they’re prepared and know how to tackle issues with a perspective that focuses on social justice.”

“Notre Dame really focuses on Catholic social teachings and incorporates what it means to be a moral person,” Antosz said. “It doesn’t matter what you’re studying, the Notre Dame mission is to instill these values in its students so that, when they leave, they’re prepared and know how to tackle issues with a perspective that focuses on social justice.”

In addition to her research, Antosz will work with faculty mentors at Universidad Alberto Hurtado and be a teaching assistant for a class on poverty and development—the same class she took as an undergraduate study abroad student.

After her Fulbright year, Antosz plans to seek a graduate program in global affairs or human development.

“This project could be a great first step and experience,” she said.

Originally published by Brian Wallheimer at al.nd.edu on September 29, 2016.